Georgia admitted

Caucasus country re-enters IIHF championship program

Georgia will be back in the upcoming season. Among the opponents will be United Arab Emirates like in last year's 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III Qualification. Photo: Fatima Al Ali

CASCAIS, Portugal – IIHF Congress approved readmitting Georgia to its World Championship program. They will join the Division III Worlds, the sixth and lowest men's level.

In order to be able to take part in the IIHF's World Championship program, a member nation has to fulfill certain minimum criteria, the so called "minimum standards". This with regards to, for example, number of players, facilities, etc.

The status of availability of at least one regulation sized rink in Georgia was one pressing issue which had to be clarified for the country to continue playing.

To clarify the issue, the IIHF authorized council member Luc Tardif (FRA) to travel to Georgia during the off-season to make a site visit at the one existing arena.

Tardif reported to council in Cascais that the arena does fulfill the IIHF requirements regarding the minimum standards, and the congress followed up by approving the re-admittance of Georgia.

They will now join next April's IIHF World Championship Division III in Luxembourg, with the hosts, Bulgaria, DPR Korea, United Arab Emirates and Hongkong.

Georgia's only participation in the IIHF program was last season when they played in the Division III qualifications in Abu Dhabi, UAE and lost all games, to UAE, Greece and Mongolia.